Cricketers of limited talent who had International Success beyond their abilities

[Mr Miyagi]

Graeme Smith (c)
Justin Langer
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Thilan Samaraweera
Paul Collingwood
TM Dilshan
Ridley Jacobs +
Dan Vettori
Anil Kumble
Makhaya Ntini
Courtney Walsh

Very good team, but one query, Dilshan? I almost think that he had too much talent and would be a contender for a slippy thread if his career hadn't still been suitably impressive nevertheless.

 

[Burgey]

Steve Waugh , Anil kumble, Cook

Waugh and Cook were both prodigies though. Identified very young as players of enormous ability. Not sure about Kumble.

 

[cnerd123]

Waugh and Cook were both prodigies though. Identified very young as players of enormous ability. Not sure about Kumble.

Waugh and Cook actually cut down on their expansive games and minimalised it to be more consistently successful

They're kind of the opposite of what this thread is looking for

 

[Migara]

Very good team, but one query, Dilshan? I almost think that he had too much talent and would be a contender for a slippy thread if his career hadn't still been suitably impressive nevertheless.

Dilshan actually under performed given his ability. Only showed his true potential once he was promoted to opening the innings.

 

[Daemon]

Wagner

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Wagner

Good call. Wagner would probably agree with this. He keeps going on that he doesn't have the talent of Boult and Southee.

He can reverse swing it a bit though.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Dilshan actually under performed given his ability. Only showed his true potential once he was promoted to opening the innings.

Yeah, Dilshan was just one of those guys like ABdV who was just dripping talent.

Sure I'll move up to opener, sure I'll start hitting the ball over the wicket keeper, maybe I'll take up wicket keeping, right done with keeping, time to bowl me.

Everything just seemed effortless and natural with him, besides his accessories and grooming, he put a lot of effort into his appearance.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

I'm going to nominate Faf du Plesis.

Test debut at 28, FC average now a fraction over 40; test average just under 43, and more famous for his test battling efforts to save games than anything else.

Despite not looking the most fluent, he has put up more than respectable numbers in all forms of international cricket.

 

[Maximas]

Yeah, Dilshan was just one of those guys like ABdV who was just dripping talent.

Sure I'll move up to opener, sure I'll start hitting the ball over the wicket keeper, maybe I'll take up wicket keeping, right done with keeping, time to bowl me.

Everything just seemed effortless and natural with him, besides his accessories and grooming, he put a lot of effort into his appearance.

Not my association with Dilshan, a decent portion of his scoring shots were thick outside edges from big swipes outside off stump from my recollection. The talent he had was very apparent with his fielding though

 

[Zinzan]

Can't believe he hasn't been mentioned (unless I'm blind and missed it).... but it's

Mark 'Rigor' Richardson /thread surely.

Never has there been a batsman lacking in natural ability who ended up as effective. Finished up averaging nigh-on 45 in Test cricket, opening the batting primarily in NZ conditions. And playing in the 2000-2005 era, there was no shortage of quality opening bowlers going around the traps.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Decent sprinter too

 

[Days of Grace]

Ken Barrington

 

[Shady Slim]

Bowlers who rely on favourable home conditions like Jadeja, Underwood and Philander.

Players who only played at their peaks like Vogues.

Players who only got a game because the other options were dross. Too many to mention.

no

 

[Top_Cat]

Kumble doesn't fit, for mine. Was earmarked as a potential great right from the beginning. I don't back that because he didn't turn the ball square that he had limited talent. Bloke was a fabulous cricketer.

Clive Lloyd maybe?

 

[Migara]

Kumble spun the ball really hard. But he did not get much turn because he used topspin. He was uber talented given his accuracy and the ability to send down a leg break at that pace, and vary the pace too.

 

[Bolo]

no

Home average 18. Away 27. Yes.

 

[wpdavid]

Jonty Rhodes springs to mind.

Bob Willis too.

 

[Bolo]

Jonty Rhodes springs to mind.

Bob Willis too.

Rhodes was talented. He was a dual international in hockey and cricket, besides being the GOAT fielder, so not short on natural talent. He was thought to have worked a technical fault into his batting from his hockey swing that made him a bit crap with the bat for a while.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Home average 18. Away 27. Yes.

Away average of 27 is still very good

 

[OverratedSanity]

Philander's played a huge part in series wins in Australia and England. Bowled well in UAE on that one tour too. Can't lump him in with guys like Jadeja imo.